Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable water cooler for efficiently receiving an inverted water jug and ice to surround the water jug in which a sealed environment is created.
Description of Related Art
Water coolers are known which include enclosures or compartments for ice. U.S. Pat. No. 648,904 describes a cylindrical form adapted to be removably supported within an enclosure, leaving a free space between the receptacle and the enclosure-walls adapted to contain a supply of cracked ice for maintaining the water at a low temperature. Drip water from melted ice can be drawn off with a petcock. This system is stationary and cumbersome. Further, this patent has the shortcomings of not providing a portable housing and not providing a sealed environment within the cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,004,490 describes a cooler providing means confining a refrigerant, such as ice, wholly around a bottle. A water cooler includes a casing having an opening therein at one end. A water receptacle is located in the casing and spaced from the walls thereof and is provided at one end with a neck portion which extends through the opening in the casing. A rest is located in the casing and wholly supports the water receptacle. A depending collar is formed on the rest and extends into the opening in the casing. The bottom of the bottle rests directly upon the seat formed upon the bottom member. This construction is desirable so that the bottom is spaced from the bottom member so as to form a drain space. In inserting a full bottle in the chamber, the bottle is set in an upright position, after which, the casing of the cooler is inverted and placed over the bottle so as to cause the neck of the bottle to extend through the opening. When these parts are properly assembled with each other the cooler is placed in its operative position, after which, the ice chamber is inserted in the chamber. A drain chamber which is in direct communication with the ice chamber allows the weight of water from the ice to circulate about the collar which can be used to cool that portion of the bottle immediately adjacent the discharge end thereof. This patent has the drawback that ice is not received around the neck of the bottle for cooling of the water exiting from the bottle. Also, this water cooler is not portable and does not provide a sealed environment with the received water bottle.
It is desirable to provide an improved portable water cooler which provides guidance for receiving an inverted water jug and allows ice to surround the received water jug in which a sealed environment is created.